Tuesday July 15 2014

KCCA’s Kisenyi Health Centre IV on strike over delayed payment

Over 60 medical and support staffs at the Kampala Capital City Authority (KCCA)’s Kisenyi Health Centre Four in Kampala Central Division have gone on strike over delayed payment.

The medical officers on Tuesday morning laid down their tools protesting nonpayment for the last four months. Patients were also seen stranded as there was no one to attend to them.

“Despite the fact that we are government workers, KCCA which is the link between us and government has refused to sign our financial document so as to facilitate our payment. How do they expect us to survive? We cannot attend to patients on empty stomachs. Besides, our kids have also been sent from school for fees,” said one of the striking nurses who refused to reveal her name for fear of being reprimanded.

The nurses also claim that they were promised allowances early this year but have never been given. Unverified information from the health centre also indicates that the lowest paid nurses earn a monthly salary of between sh250, 000 and shs350, 000.

The support staffs also claim that their salary was slashed by half, contrary to the initial agreement with the health center.

“We used to earn shs300, 000. However, this was slashed to shs1500, 000 without our consent or clear explanation,” said one of the cleaners at the health centre.

By press time, Daily Monitor could not get a comment from KCCA management because they were in a meeting.

Upon his visit at the refurbished Health Centre during his tour of KCCA projects in April this year, President Yoweri Museveni handed out Easter packages (envelopes of money) to some of the patients.